Floor polisher for vacuum cleaners



April 1, 1930.. Q J. F. MORGAL 1,752,803

7 FLOOR POLISHER FOR VACUUM CLEANERS Filed Oct. 18, 1927 Inventor: John FMoral,

Hi5 Attorney.

Patented Apr. 1, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE JOHN E. MOBGAL, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIG'NOR TO ELECTRIC VACUUM CLEANER COMPANY, INC, 01? CLIElVEId-H 'l), OHIO, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK FLOOR POLISHER FOR VACUUM CLEANERS Application filed October 18, 1927. Serial No. 226,972.

The present invention relates to floor pol ishers for use with vacuum cleaners of the type in which a rotary polisher is provided that is attached to the front end of the cleaner and is driven by the motor thereof. The object of the invention is to provide a floor polisher for Vacuum cleaners of improved construction which may be easily and quickly mounted in position for service or removed as desired.

For a consideration of what I believe to be novel and my invention, attention is directed to the accompanying description and the claims appended thereto.

In the drawing is illustrated one of the embodiments of my invention in which Fig. 1 is a View, chiefly side elevation, of a vacuum cleaner and polisher; Fig. 2 is a perspective of the polisher; Fig. 3 is a detail view of a ratchet for preventing backward rotation of the polisher; Fig. 4 is a detail of a part of the polisher mounting means; Fig. 5 is a detail view of one of the end supports, and Fig. 6 is a plan view of the wheel-supporting member.

5 indicates the nozzle of a vacuum cleaner, 6 the casing of a suction fan 7, 8 the arma ture of an electric motor for driving, the fan, 9 the field magnet of the motor, 10 the easing for the motor, 11 the discharge conduit of the fan casing, and 12 a cover for the latter when the cleaner is used for polishing and the dust bag is removed. 13 indicates the handle by which the device is moved about, and 14 the forks which connect the handle to the device. 15 indicates a removable cover plate to permit the driving belt to he slipped over the driving pulley. 16 indicates a spring hanger for the normal or dirt-agitating brush.

The front end of the cleaner is supported by a pair of floor wheels 17 which are pivotally mounted on a U-shaped bar 18 and the rear end by a swiveled caster 18*. The bar 18 is pivoted at its ends to the nozzle end walls removable pivots 19. The wheels and their supporting bar are adjustable to change the clearance between the surface being cleaned and the underside of the lips of the nozzle by means of the adjusting screw 20,

the lower end of which has an enlarged head 21 that is engaged by a slotted lug 22 fastened on the bar 18.

24 indicates a polisher which extends longitudinally of and below the nozzle and is driven by a rubber or other belt 25 from a small pulley on the outer or front end of the armature shaft; The polisher is provided with a centrally arranged pulley 26 for the belt. Thepulleys are of different sizes so as to obtain a speed reduction between the motor and the polisher. The ends of the polisher have short stub shafts 27 which form the spindle and are mounted in suitable bearings 28. One of these hearings has associated with it a ratchet device such for example, as is shown in Fig. 3. Briefly it comprises a number of spring-pressed steel balls 29 which engage cam surfaces 30 toprevent backward rotation of the polisher when the operator moves the device rearwardly by the handle 13. lVith a quarter turn belt as shown backward rotation of the polisher due to the rearward movement of the cleaner. would tend to throw off the belt.

The great problem in a device of this character is to provide a simple arrangement whereby the polisher can be easily and quickly applied to and removed from the cleaner by unskilled persons and without the use of tools of any sort. To accomplish this desired result, I provide the polisher with a pair of independent brackets which are similar in construction except that one is for the right hand end thereof and the other for the left. Each bracket has a depending member 31 to the lower end of which is attached one of the stub shafts of the polisher. One of these shafts is attached by a nut 32 and screw as shown in Fig. 2 and the other attached by flattening the sides of the shaft and holding it in place by a pin 33. The latter connection is relatively loose so as to prevent the shafts and bearings from binding) when the parts are assembled in place. A ove the member 31 is a flat, horizontal member or shoulder 34 which is situated slightly below the lips .of the nozzle and also below the floor wheels and is in turn connected to a flat, horizontal bridge member 35 which engages the under then caused to engage the front lip of the surfaces of the front and rear lips of the nozzle. The front end of the member 35 has an L-shaped member or projection 36 formed integral therewith and which rises above it. The top of the projection is of such shape and size as to rest on the inside wall of the nozzle lip as shown in Fig. 1, while the Vertical portion engages the edge of the lip and holds the bracket against independent forward movement. It will thus be seen that the front end of the member 35 and the projection 36 form in effect a jaw or clamp between the parts of which the front nozzle lip is firmly held. The rear part of the member 35 extends upwardly in back of the nozzle and terminates in a hook 37 which is of such size and shape as to engage and be held by the horizontal bar 18.

The parts are assembled for polishing in the following manner: The dust bag is removed from the handle and outlet conduit and the latter closed by the cover 12 to reduce the load on the motor. If the cleaner has a dirt-agitating brush within the nozzle it is removed. The cleaner is then placed in a convenient position as for example, by standing it on the vertical front face of the nozzle. The jaw portions 35, 36 of the brackets are nozzle, the adjusting screw 20 turned to move the bar 18 to a position where the hoks 37 can slip over it, after which the screw is turned in the opposite direction to raise the bar about the pivot 19 and cause it to firmly engage both hooks. The belt 25 is then mounted on the armature shaft pulley and the device is ready to use. The arrangement is such that when the motor circuit is closed the device as a whole moves forward due to the rotationof the polisher and this movement is partly restrained by the operator to effect the polishing. In the construction illustrated the bar 18 also carries the front floor wheels 17 of the cleaner but this arrangement is not a necessary feature since the wheels may be supported by other means. The principal thing is the provision of a member which is movable to engage the books 37 to hold the polisher at one side with other means for supporting the polisher at the other side.

I have shown a form of polisher comprising .a brush having relatively stiff bristles which support the weight of the front end of the cleaner, but it is evident that other devices for surfacing floors and the like may be employed and mounted in the manner described, and in using the term polisher in the claims it is my intention to include such other means.

The brackets are made of sheet steel and may readily be given the proper shape and size by suitable dies. Being located at the ends and having the shouldered portions 34 the polisher may be made of a length corresponding to the length of the nozzle, or even longer, thereby covering a considerable area By doing away with all connecting members between the brackets the matter of mounting the driving brush in place is greatly simplified, especially when it becomes necessary to substitute a new belt for an old one for the belt can easily be slipped over one of the brackets to its proper position.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. A floor polishing attachment for use with a vacuum cleaner having a nozzle, a motor, and a pivoted adjusting member, said attachment comprising a rotary element, independent brackets which support the element at its ends, each bracket having means at one end to engage the nozzle and a projection at the other end which is engaged by the adjusting member of the cleaner to hold the element in place, and a belt driven by the motor for rotating said element.

2. A floor polishing attachment for use with a vacuum cleaner having a nozzle, a motor, and a pivoted adjusting member, said attachment comprising a rotary element and a pair of brackets for supporting the element and securing it to the cleaner nozzle, each of which has a means at one end to engage a lip of the nozzle and a hook at the other, said hooks being engaged by the pivoted adjusting member to hold the bracket in place, and means actuated by the motor for rotating the element.

3. A floor polishing attachment for use with a vacuum cleaner having a nozzle, a motor, and a pivoted adjusting member, said attachment comprising a rotary element, bearings therefor, a pair of independent brackets which support the bearings, each of said brackets having a member which engages the under side of the lips of the nozzle, a second member which engages one lip of the nozzle and a projection, both of said projections being engaged by the pivoted adjusting member, and a driving means for the element.

4. A floor polishing attachment for use with a vacuum cleaner having a nozzle, a motor, and a pivoted adjusting bar, said attachment comprising a rotary element, bearings therefor, a pair of independent brackets which support the bearings, each of said brackets comprising a flat member which engages the lips of the nozzle, a means which engages the front lip of thenozzle and a hook, said hooks being engaged by the adjusting bar to hold-the brackets and element in operative position, and means driven by the motor for rotating the element.

5. A floor polishing attachment for use with a vacuum cleaner having a nozzle, a motor, and a U-shaped adjusting bar, said attachment comprising a rotary polishing element, stub shafts and bearings therefor, a pair of brackets which support the shafts, means for loosely connecting one of the shafts to its bracket to prevent binding, each of the brackets comprising a part adapted to rest on the under surface of the front and rear nozzle lips, a means which en ages the upper surface of one of the lips an a hook, both of said hooks being engaged by the adjusting bar to hold the brackets in place, and a driving means for the element.

6. A polisher adapted for use with a vacuum cleaner which comprises a polishing element, and independent supporting brackets therefor located one at each end of the polisher, each of said brackets comprising a member adapted to engage the under surfaces of the front and rear lips of the nozzle of the cleaner, a means extending into the nozzle which is adapted to engage the upper surface of one of the nozzle lips, and an upwardly extending hook adapted to receive a pivotally supported element carried by the cleaner for locking the bracket in place.

7. A polisher adapted for use with a vacuum cleaner which comprises a polishing member, bearing elements therefor, a pair of supporting brackets located one at each of the ends of the polisher, each bracket havin a de ending member which supports a sai bearing element, a second member wbichis adapted to engage the underside of the nozzle of the cleaner, a means which is adapted to engage one lip of the nozzle, and a means which is adapte to be enga ed and moved by a movable element carried %)y the cleaner to lock the bracket in place.

8. A polisher adapted to be applied to the nozzle of a vacuum cleaner whic comprises a polishing member, bearing elements therefor, a pair of independent supporting brackets located one at each end of the polishing member, each of said brackets comprising a member which bridges the lips of the nozzle when assembled in place, a downwardly-extending member to which a bearing element is secured, a means which is adapted to engage the two snrfaces of the front H of the nozzle, and a hook which is locate in the rear of the nozzle and is adapted to be engaged by the member which carries and adjusts the floor wheels of the cleaner to lock the bridge member against the underside of the lips of the nozzle. s

In witness whereof, I have, hereunto set my hand this 14th da of October, 1927 J EN 1 MORGAL. 

